Education minister promises security to suspended students

Suspended students of MVLU-Chinai College of Commerce and Economics and members of Chinai Student's Association met Higher and Technical Education Minister Rajesh Tope on Thursday and presented him a memorandum, seeking action against the highhandedness of Chinai College of Commerce and Economics in Andheri (East).

Confirming having met Tope, President, Chinai Student's Association, Shailesh Upadhyay, said, " We submitted a notification, stating that students had participated in extra- curricular activities after college permission, but the college debarred them citing attendance reasons." The minister has promised special security to students till the time the issue is resolved, he added.

While Upadhyay reported that Joint Education Director of Higher Education for Mumbai Region Dr Manjusha Morawane had been asked to submit a detailed report on the incident, Morawane said she would submit a report on the incident within four days. On Thursday, after her visit to the college, she said, " I interacted with the students, staff as well as the management of the college. While students put forth their grievances, the management said they had suffered huge loss because of the student stir." Four college students were detained, but later released on bail, after they protested their suspension by the college authorities, that cited low attendence.

Upadhyay stated that the minister has also promised to provide security to students as the college management has stationed private bouncers at the college entrance. Tope has promised to talk to the local zonal Deputy Commissioner of Police and arrest bouncers found behaving rudely with students.

Also, students will meet Vice- Chancellor Dr Rajan Welukar, on Friday, and present him a similar notification stating their demands.